Sunday, 26 February 2012

Thursday, 23 February 2012

I could not resist these 1939 Lepage-Medvey chromolithographs when I saw them in David Chamberlain's shop on Etsy. I started off limiting myself to four...then five....then six...then finally I justfied these eight because they are all so beautiful. Not least the two splendiferous men!

Thursday, 16 February 2012

I am really enjoying using early 80s Dolly magazines as a reference. Show how you feel is based on an advertisement for a monogrammed chain bracelet: a trend left over from the 70s. Working from certain photos does however challenge my painting skills -- and this one will have to be substantially reworked. I had another one too which I can't even show at this point. (Working in acrylic on wood is good however as you can layer the colours and get rid of unsightly bits.)

Monday, 13 February 2012

I am getting some work together for a mini window exhibition next month, which I will mention again closer to time. I am quite liking the photos my i-phone takes, I think they're not bad, all things considered. Lucky us to have such technology!

Thursday, 9 February 2012

My dear friends asked me AGES AGO if I would paint portraits of their daughters. I have avoided the task for many reasons. Ostensibly I was too busy but in fact I was sure that I would botch it up: portraits are a weighty proposition.
Now that Alice is down on paper I feel relieved and happy. Getting the sketch right is so important: it's where all the thinking goes. Well, that's how it is for me. Alice is a great animal lover: she has pictures of all sorts of wild animals next to her bed and is greeted by a huge poster of a gorilla every morning. This composition was her wish, though the gorilla here has since become a baby version, and may well change again before we move on to the final work. Her little sister Evie is next! I'm sure that she will provide me with a challenge....

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

I have been wanting to open a little vintage shop on Etsy for a while now -- and here it is finally! At the moment there is just a small selection of textile items, but hopefully I will have all sorts of things in there soon. I forgot how much work is involved in setting up an Etsy shop: masthead design, shipping details, photography, verbal descriptions, profile, etc. If anyone out there is thinking of opening one, I highly recommend having a look at a successful existing shop that sells similar wares to yours, and using that as a template.

Saturday, 4 February 2012

Westographervery kindly allowed me to photograph and share a tiny sampling of objects from his astonishing home recently. Thanks so much W! I could have photographed for hours, but I chose these items as I find them particularly inspiring. Besides, the memory card in my camera kept filling up.

I am a HUGE fan of Westographer's photos, updated almost daily on his Flickr site. A perfect balance of poignant and charming, they are a must-see, particularly if you live in Melbourne.

Lucky me: the best part of having a blog is the amazing people you can meet! There's quite a few fine ladies out there who know I am talking about them too.

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

Hello!

This blog is both a record of my work and an attempt to contribute to the vast inspiration that thousands of other creative people have given me via the internet.
I worked for many years in the fashion industry, designing prints, textiles and developing products for children. I now work as a freelance illustrator and make a variety of work under my own name. Some of the things that I make can be found in my etsy shop and in galleries and stores around Australia.